Will Bardarbunga Blow Up?

Posted on August 27, 2014

The world is watching Bardarbunga, the latest Icelandic volcano expected to erupt. Magma from the volcano is travelling under the region’s glaciers, creeping north at a pace of over 2 miles a day. It’s expected to meet up with another volcano, and possibly trigger an eruption there.

Bardarbunga already has at least two Twitter profiles, and volcano watchers are following the hashtags #volcanowatch and #Bardarbunga closely. And naturally, there’s a way to watch the activity ’round-the-clock:

Another concern is an uptick in earthquakes, a possible predictor of an imminent eruption.

According to the Icelandic Met Office, the country has about 30 volcano systems. The ice-covered Bardarbunga is Iceland’s second-highest mountain. It’s over a mile above sea level. Bardarbunga last erupted in 1910. Lots of other Icelandic volcanoes have been active in recent years.

Air travel could be seriously impacted if volcanic activity picks up. In 2010, the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull spewed ash for several days – disrupting commercial air travel to a degree not seen since WWII. Millions of travelers had to contend with cancelled flights.